We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Set cookie preferences

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Publication - Statistics

Public Sector Employment in Scotland Statistics for 2nd Quarter 2025

Published
16 September 2025
Directorate
Chief Economist Directorate
Topic
Economy, Public sector, Work and skills

Statistics based on administrative records and surveys of individual public sector bodies carried out by the Scottish Government and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is a snapshot of employment as at June 2025.

Part of

Supporting documents

Public and Private Sector Employment in Scotland; Headcount

Public sector employment in Scotland remained at a similar level between June 2024 and June 2025.

The public sector is defined according to the UK National Accounts Classifications Guide

Figure 1: Public sector employment in Scotland accounts for over one fifth (22.3%) of total employment

Public and Private[1] Sector employment (Headcount) in Scotland as at June 2025

Figure 1. infographic of number of people employed in Public Sector and Private Sector by headcount

Source: Public Sector Employment in Scotland, Quarter 2 2025

Figure 2:  Public Sector employment in Scotland has been generally increasing since 2018

Public Sector employment and estimated public sector employment (excluding major reclassifications) in Scotland, March 1999 to June 2025, non-seasonally adjusted

Figure 2. time series of Public Sector Employment headcount in Scotland and Estimated Public Sector Employment (excluding major reclassifications) headcount in Scotland

Source: Public Sector Employment in Scotland, Quarter 2 2025

Figure 2 shows that the number of people employed in the public sector remained relatively constant between Q1 2014 and Q2 2018, before falling in Q3 2018 and rising again from Q4 2018 onwards. Excluding the effects of major reclassifications[2] (i.e. taking out the number of people employed in all large organisations listed in footnote 2 from the overall numbers), the number of people employed in the public sector gradually reached a peak in Q2 2006, decreased until Q3 2013 and remained relatively constant until Q3 2018. The increase between Q3 2018 and Q4 2018 is mainly due to Cordia services moving back under Glasgow City Council services. Since Q4 2018, the series has typically been increasing over time. In Q3 2018, Social Security Scotland was added to the public sector series and has grown in size over time partly contributing to the increase.

Impact of Excluding Major Reclassifications from Public Sector

Figure 3 shows the annual change in employment for the public sector. Employment remained at a similar level between June 2024 and June 2025.

If the major reclassifications[2] were to be excluded from the public sector series (i.e. the number of people employed in all large organisations listed in footnote 2 were taken out of the overall numbers), there would be around 586,000 people employed in the public sector as at June 2025.

Public sector employment, excluding the effects of the major reclassifications, would be 0.1% lower in June 2025 compared with June 2024. This series provides a better picture of the annual change in the overall public sector in Scotland when there have been changes in the classification of organisations deemed major reclassifications.

Figure 3: In the previous three quarters, employment in the Public Sector in Scotland decreased over the year due to National Accounts classification changes. When major reclassifications are excluded from the series, employment increased over the year in each of these quarters. In the current quarter, changes over the year are similar for both series.

Annual change in Public Sector employment (Headcount) in Scotland

Figure 3. bar chart of annual change in Public Sector Employment headcount and Estimated Public Sector Employment (excluding major reclassifications) comparing the last 4 quarters

Source: Public Sector Employment in Scotland, Quarter 2 2025

Note: The annual change for the Public sector series is rounded to the nearest ten and the Estimated Public sector (excluding major reclassifications) series is rounded to the nearest thousand.

 

[1] Private sector employment estimates are based on non-seasonally adjusted total employment estimates from the ONS Labour Force Survey and public sector employment figures.

[2] Major reserved reclassifications include NatWest Group plc (including Royal Bank of Scotland plc) (until Q2 2024), Lloyds Banking Group plc (until Q4 2013), Northern Rock plc (until Q4 2011), Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance (until Q4 2013), Lloyds Bank Asset Finance (until Q4 2013), Scottish Widows (until Q4 2013), Direct Line (until Q2 2013), Royal Mail Group plc (until Q3 2013), Post Office Ltd (until Q2 2006) and Network Rail. Devolved reclassifications include Registered Social Landlords (until Q2 2018), with Train Operating Companies split across Reserved and Devolved responsibility. 

Contact

For enquiries about this publication please contact:

Labour Market Statistics,
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
E-mail: LMStats@gov.scot

For general enquiries about Scottish Government statistics please contact:

Office of the Chief Statistician
E-mail: statistics.enquiries@gov.scot

Back to top